Read previewUkraine's military said this week that its air force shot down a key Russian spy plane — and Moscow's latest moves suggest that it is panicked about losing yet another valuable aircraft.
Kyiv said that on Sunday, it destroyed a prized Russian A-50 radar early-warning plane, along with an Ilyushin Il-22 airborne command post, amid Moscow's grinding nearly two-year war with Ukraine.
Advertisement"They have very few aircraft, and they have a very important role for Russian air operations on that southern front, the Zaporizhzhia front.
They are important because they can look over the normal horizon that a normal air defense radar can see.
They give warning to Russian fighter bomber patrols when they are approached by Ukrainian fighters," Gressel said of the A-50.
Persons:
—, Gustav Gressel, Gressel
Organizations:
Service, Business, Ilyushin, UK's Ministry of Defense, Russian Air Force, European Council, Foreign Relations
Locations:
Russian, Ukraine, British, Azov, Krasnodar, Russia, Moscow, Ukrainian